Switzerland: Churfirsten Mountain Range

Churfirsten is a mountain range of peaks that rise up to 2,306 metres above sea level over Lake Walen, Switzerland. They form the natural boundary between the canton's Toggenburg and Sarganserland districts. The name is a plural, indicating the peaks forming the historical boundary of the bishopric of Chur. It has historically also been folk-etymologized as "Kurfürsten", i.e. the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire who in the later medieval period (until 1648) numbered seven, which in turn encouraged the count of seven main or "official" peaks. The standard "seven peaks" of the Churfirsten are (from west to east):Selun (2205 m), Frümsel (2263 m), Brisi (2279 m), Zuestoll (2235 m), Schibenstoll (2234 m), Hinterrugg (2306 m), Chäserrugg (2262 m).

Stamps:
Churfirsten (Strip of four Stamps) - Issued: 11-05-2017


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this great Cover!

Switzerland: 200th Anniversary of the Bicycle

The first verifiable claim for a practically used bicycle belongs to German Baron Karl von Drais, a civil servant to the Grand Duke of Baden in Germany. Drais invented his Laufmaschine (German for "running machine") of 1817 that was called Draisine (English) or draisienne (French) by the press. Today, 200 years later, the bicycle is seen as an efficient and highly ecological means of transport that enhances the quality of life. Like in many other countries Bicycles are very popular in Switzerland, too. Swiss Post celebrates this event with a set of two different Stamps (CHF 1.00 Draisine and CHF 1.00 Modern Bicycle).

Stamps:
200th anniversary of the bicycle (full set) - Issued: 02-03-2017


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this great cover!

Switzerland: Valle Verzasca

The Valle Verzasca is a valley in the Locarno district of the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It comprises the municipalities of Mergoscia, Vogorno, Corippo, Lavertezzo, Brione, Gerra, Frasco, and Sonogno. As of 2004, the total population of 3,200. Mergoscia is at the geographical center of the Ticino, and none of the passes out of the valley cross cantonal or national borders. The valley is formed by the Verzasca River and is situated between the Leventina and the Maggia and culminates at Pizzo Barone. On the stamp you can also see the "Ponte Romano" also called "Ponte dei salti" which crosses the Verzasca river in Lavertezzo. After its partial destruction occured in 1868 it has been reconstructed in 1960.

Stamp:
Tourism - Swiss Countryside "Valle Verzasca" - Issued: 08-09-2016 with Last-Day-of-Use Postmark of Concise


Many thanks again to Hansjürg for this great cover! 

Switzerland: New Swiss Definitive Stamps (Swiss Railway Stations)

On 8th September 2016 the Swiss Post issued a new set of definitive stamps with the theme of “Swiss railway stations”. The series will replace all definitive stamps by 2018. Brig, Lucerne, Bellinzona and Geneva are the first to be featured.

Bellinzona railway station (Italian: Stazione di Bellinzona) serves the city of Bellinzona, in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is on the Swiss Federal Railways' Gotthard line.

Stamp:
Swiss Railway Stations "Bellinzona" - Issued: 08-09-2016


UPDATE 08-10-2016:

Some days ago I received another cover with two other stamps of this definitives series.

The left one shows Brig railway station. It is an important railway junction in the municipality of Brig-Glis (French: Brigue-Glis), in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. Opened in 1906, it is adjacent to the northern portal of the Simplon Tunnel, and is served by three standard gauge lines and two metre gauge lines.

The right one shows Lucerne railway station (German: Bahnhof Luzern). It is a major hub of the rail network of Switzerland, in the city of Lucerne in the canton of Lucerne. It is a terminal station serving domestic and international traffic on several rail lines, and is situated in a city centre and waterfront location on the south side of Lake Lucerne.

Stamps:
left: Swiss Railway Stations "Brig" - Issued: 08-09-2016
right: Swiss Railway Stations "Lucerne" - Issued: 08-09-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for these nice Cover!

Switzerland: Lake Constance

Lake Constance (German: Bodensee) is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee ("upper lake"), the Untersee ("lower lake"), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein. The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps. Specifically, its shorelines lie in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, and the Swiss cantons of Thurgau, St Gallen and Schaffhausen. The river Rhine flows into the lake from the south, with its original course forming the Austro-Swiss border, and has its outflow of the "Lower Lake" where it to some extent forms the German-Swiss border until the city Basel.

Stamps:
Lake Constance (whole Set) - Issued: 12-05-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this great Cover!

Switzerland: Gotthard Base Tunnel

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) (German: Gotthard-Basistunnel) is a railway base tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland, which opened on 1 June 2016 with full service to begin in December 2016. With a route length of 57.09 km (35.5 mi) and a total of 151.84 km (94.3 mi) of tunnels, shafts and passages, it is the world's longest and deepest traffic tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps. The project consists of two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld (Canton of Uri) with Bodio (Canton of Ticino) and passing below Sedrun (Canton Graubünden). This is a card from a set of two, it shows the starting point in Erstfeld with a matching stamp and a matching cancellation of the town.

Stamps:
left: Swiss Census - Issued: 20-11-1990
right: Opening of the Gotthard Railway Tunnel (from a set of three) - Issued: 12-05-2016


UPDATE 09-06-2016:

Today the second card of this series arrived. The card shows the endpoint of the Gotthard-Base-Tunnel in Bodio (Canton of Ticino).

Stamps:
left: The 700th Anniversary of the Confederation (from a set of four) - Issued: 22-02-1991
right: Opening of the Gotthard Railway Tunnel (from a set of three) - Issued: 12-05-2016

Many thanks again to Hansjürg for these great cards!

Switzerland: EUROPA - "Think Green"

I'm happy to receive another cover with the EUROPA Stamp of 2016. This time it comes from Switzerland. Swiss Post issued also two different stamps. One shows the common design and on the other you can see a thinking head. The stamps are designed to increase awareness about environmental topics, bringing with them an underlying wake-up call.

Stamps:
EUROPA - "Think Green" (whole Set) - Issued: 12-05-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this great FDC!

Switzerland: Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls (german: Rheinfall) is the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The falls are located on the High Rhine between the municipalities of Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen-Uhwiesen, near the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich. They are 150 m (450 ft) wide and 23 m (75 ft) high. In the winter months, the average water flow is 250 m³/s, while in the summer, the average water flow is 700 m³/s. The highest flow ever measured was 1,250 m³/s in 1965; and the lowest, 95 m³/s in 1921.

Stamps:

Rhine Falls (whole set) - Issued: 05-03-2015 with matching postmark

Many thanks to Hansjürg for sending me these nice stamps!

Switzerland: 75 Years of the Swiss Merchant Fleet

Switzerland as a seafaring country maybe sounds strange, but this landlocked country is on the high seas. Swiss merchant ships are operated not by the Swiss Confederation, but by private shipowners. They remain under the protection of Switzerland, whose flag they fly. In return, the government is entitled to commandeer the ships at times of crisis or emergency to ensure the country’s economic needs are met. Thus the flag is motivated not by competition or prestige; rather, Switzerland owes its flag solely to the desire to ensure economic supplies for the nation at times of crisis or in emergencies.

Stamp:
75 Years of the Swiss Merchant Fleet "Lausanne" (from a set of four) - Issued: 03-03-2016

Stamp:
left: 75 Years of the Swiss Merchant Fleet "Lavaux" (from a set of four) - Issued: 03-03-2016
right: 75 Years of the Swiss Merchant Fleet "Lugano" (from a set of four) - Issued: 03-03-2016

UPDATE: 07-07-2016

Today I received the the missing stamp from this series on a cover.

Stamp:
75 Years of the Swiss Merchant Fleet "Stockhorn" (from a set of four) - Issued: 03-03-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for these great covers!

Switzerland: Henri Nestlé

Henri Nestlé, born Heinrich Nestle (10 August 1814 – 7 July 1890), was a German-born Swiss confectioner and the founder of Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company, as well as one of the main creators of condensed milk. Henri Nestle made use of his family escutcheon, the "Nest", a graphic translation of his name, little nest, to personify the business. Evocative of security, maternity and affection, nature and nourishment, family and tradition, this symbol remains the central element in the Nestle corporate identity.

Stamps:
2x Henri Nestlé - Issued: 25-02-2016


Thanks again to Hansjürg for this nice Cover!

Switzerland: 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC)

On 17 July 1866, General Henri Dufour, Federal Councillor Jakob Dubs and other prominent figures met in Bern with the goal of founding the Swiss Red Cross (SRC). This new organisation was initially called the 'Aid organisation for Swiss soldiers and their families' and reflected the organisation's purpose at that time of supporting the Armed Forces medical services in times of war through voluntary workers. This was also one of Henry Dunant's basic ideas. The aid organisation's first major effort came with the internment of the Army of the East, commanded by General Bourbaki, in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War. The SRC's activity during both world wars consolidated the aid organisation's position and enhanced its reputation at both national and international level. After World War II, its focus shifted increasingly to the civilian sector, with numerous new tasks. The Swiss Red Cross is currently Switzerland's largest humanitarian organisation. Further information is available at www.redcross.ch.

Stamps:
2x 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) - Issued: 03-03-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this nice Cover!

Switzerland: Lavaux Vineyard Terraces (Lake Geneva)

On saturday I received this cover with a beautiful stamp on it. The stamps are showing a great view on Lake Geneva . Lake Geneva (French: lac Léman, le Léman, sometimes lac de Genève  German: Genfersee) is a lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. The view on the stamps is from Lavaux. It is a region in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, in the district of Lavaux-Oron. The Lavaux consist of 830 hectares of terraced vineyards that stretch for about 30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva. Since July 2007, the Lavaux is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Stamps:
UNESCO World Heritage - Lavaux (whole set) - Issued: 09-09-2011


Thanks to Hansjürg for this nice Cover!

Switzerland: Lufthansa Airbus A319-100

On the card you can see a Airbus A319-100. The Airbus 319-100 is a single aisle, twin-engine jet manufactured by Airbus Industrie, the European consortium. It is part of the Airbus 320 family, the world’s best selling aircraft line. The A319 has the longest flying range in its category. The A319 is a shortened derivative of the highly successful A320, it is shorter by seven fuselage frames and otherwise almost identical in all other aspects.

On the back of the card you can see the new 2016 postmark of the Zürich Airport.

Stamps:
left: PTT-Series (from a set of four) - Issued: 05-09-1980
right: Tennis - Roger Federer - Issued: 10-04-2007


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this nice card and postmark!

Switzerland: Marsupilami

Marsupilami is a fictional comic book species created by André Franquin, first published on 31 January 1952 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou. Since then it appeared regularly in the popular Belgian comic book series Spirou et Fantasio until Franquin stopped working on the series in 1968 and the character dropped out soon afterward. In the late 1980s, the Marsupilami got its own successful spin-off series of comic albums, Marsupilami, written by Greg, Yann and Dugomier and drawn by Batem, launching the publishing house Marsu Productions. It reminds me of my own childhood.

Stamps:
Marsupilami (whole set) - Issued: 03-09-2015

Thanks again to Hansjürg for this great cover!

Switzerland: Christmas Stamps 2015

These two stamps are from a set of four different stamps of the swiss 2015 christmas series. The stamps are designed by Bea Würgler and each of it shows a snow globe with different content. By the way, at the end of the 19th century Erwin Perzy, a producer of surgical instruments, invented the so-called "Schneekugel" (snow globe) and got the first patent for it.

Stamps:
Christmas ("Gifts" & "Christmas Tree") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 09-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Baubles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 27-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Candles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015

Thanks to Hansjürg for the nice Covers!

Switzerland: Sillerenbühl

Sillerenbühl is a mountain about 1.970 m above sea level in the municipality in of western Bernese Alps near the city of Albristhorn in Switzerland. In summer the region is famous for hiking and in wither of course for skiing.

Stamps (from the left):
Pro Patria - Art (from a set of four) - Issued: 29-05-1970
Machine label
International Year of Crystallography (from a set of two) - Issued: 06-03-2014 (with hand cancellation "3713 Reichenbach Im Kandertal")

Thanks to Hansjürg for this nice card and stamps!

Switzerland: Sainte-Croix

Sainte-Croix is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. Sainte-Croix has a population (as of December 2014) of 4,766. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks French, with German being second most common and Italian being third. In the winter, it is a popular winter sports resort.

Stamps:
from the left:
Flora - Mushrooms "Cantharellus cibarius" (from a set of four) - Issued: 06-03-2014
Flora - Mushrooms "Hydnellum caeruleum" (from a set of four) - Issued: 06-03-2014
The 175th Anniversary of the World's First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black - Issued: 03-09-2015


Thanks to Madeleine for this nice card!